


Happy Birthday, Alexander

by astudyinfic



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec's birthday, Domestic Fluff, M/M, birthday celebration, fluffy goodness, happy birthday Alec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-12
Updated: 2018-09-12
Packaged: 2019-07-11 12:14:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15972104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Alec always said he hated his birthday, but that wasn't quite true.  And now he didn't know how to correct people when he'd been pretending for so long.Luckily for him, Magnus wasn't one to give up easily.





	Happy Birthday, Alexander

The twelfth of September, a normal day as far as anyone was concerned.  Sure, his siblings knew, but they also knew not to make a big deal about it.  Alec hated to be the center of attention when he was younger, always blending into the background.  When his birthday rolled around, everyone looking at him made his skin crawl with unease, so he started telling people how much he hated his birthday.  If they thought he didn’t like it, then they would forget about it and leave him in peace.

But the plan worked too well.  By the time he was older, Alec saw the grand celebrations his siblings threw for one another and small tendrils of envy wrapped around his heart.  While he would never want a big party, now that he was in his twenties, it would be nice to at least have the day acknowledged.

Alec couldn’t figure out how to make that happen, however, without coming off as needy.

So he kept quiet, watching the day approaching on the calendar but saying nothing to anyone.  He’d never even told Magnus his birthday, so there was no reason to suspect his boyfriend would do anything for the day.  It was the way he’d always wanted it but now, it felt hollow and lonely.

As luck would have it, he had the day off for his birthday.  At least, that was what he told himself as if he didn’t make the schedule personally.  Waking that morning to the sound of thunder in the distance and rain pelting their bedroom window, Alec was thankful for the opportunity to stay home.  He loved his job but going out in a storm seemed like a terrible idea and pretty much the last thing he wanted to do on his birthday.

Magnus hadn’t said anything about any clients so Alec rolled over, looking forward to cuddling with his boyfriend and pretending it was just any other day.  It was truly the best he could hope for without saying “Oh, and by the way, today is my birthday. Forgot to mention that until just now.” Considering Magnus’s love of parties, Alec doubted such an admission would go over well.

Instead of finding his warm and solid boyfriend, Alec found an empty space in the bed.  The sheets were cooled and he sighed miserably before flopping onto his back. The day just started and already it was bad.  Magnus probably had a client and Alec forgot, or Magnus never told him. Now, he would sit around the loft all day feeling sorry for himself or just go to work and try to forget he ever tried to take a day for himself.

Throwing an arm over his eyes, Alec listened to the rain and tried to push down any disappointment he felt.  This was his own fault, of course, so he had no one to blame but himself. He couldn’t sit around feeling sorry for himself when he did nothing to get the outcome he wanted.  Knowing the day was already a waste, he should get up, make some coffee and face it like the twenty-nine-year-old man he now was, instead of pouting like a child who didn’t get his way.

As he laid there feeling sorry for himself, Alec didn’t hear the door to the room open or the soft footsteps on the carpet.  What he did feel were gently lips pressed to his own, a scent he would know anywhere - sandalwood and magic and Magnus - and the warmth that seemed to radiate from the man he loved.  “Happy birthday, Alexander,” Magnus whispered against Alec’s lips before stealing one more kiss.

Dropping his arm, Alec looked up at him in utter shock, warm hazels meeting soft golds.  “How? How did you know? I don’t tell anyone.”

Magnus fiddled with the cuff on his ear, looking about as contrite as he could.  “I may have taken a few files from the Clave while looking for that information. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t want to celebrate the day you were born?”

Alec blinked once, twice, three times before surging up and kissing Magnus soundly.  “I love you,” he whispered between kisses, pulling his boyfriend down with him.

They giggled as they moved around on the bed, situating themselves so they were pressed close, facing one another so they could talk and kiss and simply be together.  “So you aren’t mad?” There was no way Magnus had to think Alec was mad considering the fact that he couldn’t stop smiling but Magnus had always been far too thoughtful for his own good when it came to Alec.

“Why would I be mad?  Okay, maybe as Head of Institute I should be a little annoyed that you stole Clave files but you did it out of love, not out of some deep-seated vengeance against Idris.”

“No, if I was going to go up against Idris, I would steal something other than Alec Lightwood’s personnel files.  You never told me that you broke some kid’s nose in training, darling.” Magnus bounced his eyebrows suggestively and Alec couldn’t hold back the groan.

He sighed and kissed Magnus, determined to make him stop talking, if only for a minute.

It didn’t work, though, because the moment they were done, Magnus started again.  However, his words were softer, fonder this time. “Darling, I’m curious why you didn’t tell me it was your birthday.  If you were afraid I would throw you some lavish party you didn’t want, you have to know that I would never do anything to make you uncomfortable.”

“I know.”  Alec did know that.  Magnus was always so considerate of him, Alec had no doubts that Magnus would have ignored the day entirely if that was what Alec wanted.  “I spent most of my life telling everyone my birthday wasn’t a big deal. When you are hiding like I was, having a day where everyone’s attention was on you is terrifying.  Or at least it was to me. I was so afraid that that would be the year that everyone would figure it out and I would be outed to the entire Institute. So I convinced everyone I hated my birthday and after a few years, they acted like they forgot.”  Or maybe they did forget. Alec never had the courage to ask.

“How long have you been ignoring your birthday, darling?” Magnus asked, gentle as always but curiosity coloring every word.

Alec shrugged one shoulder, “I don’t think anyone has acknowledged it since I was fifteen.”  Fourteen years with no celebration. Fourteen years with no one wishing him a happy birthday, or rejoicing that he’d been born and spent another year with them.  Shadowhunters did not typically live long, and if Alec had been one of the less fortunate ones, he would have lived the rest of his life without anyone ever celebrating his birthday again.

Magnus frowned, obviously doing the mental math as well and not liking what he came up with.  “Do you wish to ignore it this year?”

“No!” Alec said quickly, not even thinking about his answer before blurting it out.  Trying again, more controlled this time, he said, “No, I’ve been regretting my youthful decision for years.  But coming out and apologizing for lying about hating your birthday seemed like a surefire way to make sure people never wanted to celebrate it again.  I sort of hoped that one day Izzy or Jace would press the issue. But they always respected my decision. One of the few times I got my way without even having to argue.”

“So, if I wanted to do something special, that would be alright?”  Alec nodded. He trusted Magnus with everything he had and even if what his boyfriend had in mind was the largest party the world had ever seen, Alec knew that he would enjoy it because Magnus knew _him_ and knew what he liked.  “Perfect,” Magnus smiled, kissing him gently.

The two made no effort to get out of bed, trading kisses and talking softly, the only other sound in the room the persistent rain outside that told of a world beyond the cocoon of happiness they’d created right there in their bed.  Only when it was past noon did Magnus slowly pull himself from the bed, tugging Alec right along with him into the shower where they spent a luxurious hour in the warmth of the water and the heat of each other’s bodies. And when they were finally dressed and ready for whatever Magnus had planned, he simply offered Alec his hand and asked, “Are you ready, darling?”

Alec took it without hesitation, unsure what his birthday celebration was going to be but knowing that he would love it.  He’d love it not only because it was the first one in over fourteen years but because it was his first one with Magnus. Magnus opened the portal and they stepped through together.  Whatever Alec was expecting, an empty meadow overlooking the water at sunset was not what he expected. “Welcome to the Mediterranean, my love,” Magnus smiled, the same look he got every time he took Alec somewhere he’d never before been.  Not far off, Alec saw a small table set for two.

“For us?” he asked, already knowing the answer.  As they got closer, he some of his favorite foods from around the world and a small box.  “Magnus, this is too much.”

Magnus’s eyes went wide for a moment, obviously disbelieving before he shook his head with a small smile.  “It’s obviously been too long since you celebrated yourself, darling, if you think a dinner and one small present is too much.  Nothing is too much for you and if you wanted to rule the world or hold a star in your hands, I would stop at nothing to make that happen.”

The two shared a dinner as the sunset painted the skies in pinks and oranges and purples, and when darkness fell, the two of them laid in the grass, looking up at the stars hand in hand.  “Thank you for today, Magnus. Thank you for caring enough to find out when my birthday is and for doing all of this. And thank you for not throwing a party.” He grinned at Magnus who rolled his eyes fondly.

“So, you’re saying I should text your sister and ask her to send everyone home before we get there?” Magnus asked with a laugh.

Alec never did find out if Magnus was joking or not.  They spent the rest of the night there, staring at the stars, talking about all their hopes and dreams for the future they were building together.  When the sun began to rise, Alec yawned and sat up. “Magnus, I’m ready to go home and sleep for the rest of the night. Is that okay with you?”

Magnus nodded and the two scrambled to their feet, the table and everything else disappearing with a snap of Magnus’s fingers.  “Of course, my love. But, you haven’t opened your gift yet.” He placed the small box in Alec’s hand and Alec hurried to open it.  It wasn’t the shape of a certain piece of jewelry for which he was grateful. Not that Alec didn’t want to marry Magnus. He did, more than anything, but he wanted to be the one to propose to him.  After living for so long and never marrying, Magnus deserved to have someone ask him for his hand. The ring was tucked away in a drawer in his seldom-used room at the Institute, waiting for the right time.

Opening the box, Alec froze for a moment before pulling out the small item.  He turned it over in his hands, looking at the familiar design from all angles.  “I thought you needed one of your own,” Magnus said softly, wrapping his arms around Alec’s waist.  “That omamori was the most precious gift anyone has ever given me, not only because it came from you but because of what it represented.  That you loved me, wanted me to be safe, and protected. That is what I want for you, too, Alexander. For this year and every one of them to come.”

The omamori was the same shape and size as Magnus’s but this one was a deep blue with a white and pink design woven through it.  “This is my promise to you, Alexander,” Magnus continued. “That I will always be there for you. That I will always love you. That you are something precious to me that must be protected and safe.”

Alec stopped Magnus’s words with a kiss, emotions threatening to drown him where he stood.  How anyone could love him the way Magnus did, he would never understand, even if he loved Magnus with an equal intensity and fervor.  He put everything he felt into that kiss, desperate for Magnus to know what he meant to Alec.

They broke apart when a yawn forced Alec to stop kissing Magnus, causing them both to giggle, still holding each other close.  “Home?” Alec asked.

“Home,” Magnus agreed.  He opened the portal before turning to look at Alec with a soft smile.  “Happy birthday, Alexander.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr at [brooklynxmagic](http://brooklynxmagic.tumblr.com) or [astudyinfic](http://astudyinfic.tumblr.com). Or twitter at [astudyinfic](http://twitter.com/astudyinfic).


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